A retired Tallahassee law officer has been honored for his volunteer work at the Elephant Refuge North America santuary near Attapulgas, Georgia. Phil Kiracofe has been named "Volunteer of the Year" by Elephant Aid International.
Kiracoffe, who served both at the Tallahassee Police Department and Florida Department of Law Enforcement, has been a sanctuary volunteer for the past 4 years. That job got a bit busier when actual elephants came a few months back.
"Preparing hay to feed to the elephants and cleaning up the waste the elephants leave when they spend the night in the elephant barn. Just knowing that you're helping to give these animals the kind of life they're meant to have is really rewarding," he remarked in commenting about the chores he happily performs several times a week.
And Elephant Aid International Founder Carol Buckley said Kiracofe's help has been priceless.
"There has never been a project that he's been asked to participate in - and we've had many that are messy and smelly - he has never turned his nose up at any project we've been doing."
The Elephant Refuge North America in South Georgia now has two resident pachyderms: a male named Bo and a female called Tarra. Buckley commented both have adjusted beautifully to freedom after their previous lives in captivity.
